Kurdish Oil Exports “Only with Iraq Approval”

The Deputy Prime Minister for Energy, Hussain al-Shahristani (pictured), has said that Iraq is keen to see oil shipped via pipeline from the Iraqi Kurdistan, but any exports must be approved by Baghdad.

Turkey and the KRG signed a multi-billion-dollar energy deal last month, but Reuters reports that the Iraqi central government is sticking to the idea of central control of all oil exports.

Meanwhile, Turkey is keen to move the process forward through a three-way mechanism including Baghdad

Test flows on the pipeline started on Friday, but no exports have yet been scheduled, energy sources close to the matter said on Saturday.